


Hollow knight: a broken will

by The_runaway_vessel



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:27:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25832056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_runaway_vessel/pseuds/The_runaway_vessel
Summary: after the pale king sealed the abyss, with 9% of the vessels still alive, trapped with the corpses of they're siblings, they strive for freedom.they go as far as to escape, yet it seems hallownest is hunting down the last of their kind.(note: in this au, the pale king never died, and hornet grew up and departed the palace as a hunter, yet, the infection is still a problem, the pale king never abandoned hallownest, but the rules and regulations of hallownest grow harsh becuase of it, kingsmoulds patrol most of hallownest, and they don't like vessels either).
Comments: 4
Kudos: 28





	1. No mind to think

The pack of vessels stood there, with no purpose, with a mind, what shall they do if they got to get to safety? What new commands would imerge then? But then again, no one was giving them commands, yet they had the urge to escape, to disobey the pale king's will, their father's will.   
at the thought of that, ghost started shaking, not from getting cold after standing in the rain, but from his father's words, "another failed one, you shall perish now, or rot away at the bottom of this prison, you dissapoint me, all of you do" the vessel was laying down, shaking as if he was about to blow up, revealing ink-like void drops from they're eyes, "kingsmould, attack!" The kingsmould raised they're scythe and with force, he slashed down, cutting through ghost's mask and shell, ghost fell down the abyss, and before they even hit the ground they slowly fell in an even deeper hole, as if being consumed by void, then, they hit the ground.  
Ghost snapped back to reality as two other vessels sat beside him, looking at him with curiosity, one of them, mason, put a hand on his shoulder, he realized he was still shaking, he stopped as mason gave him a hug, it was stressful for all of them, why were they doing this? Is this what they wanted? Is that even possible?

They sat around a campfire in kingdom's edge, the trio got seperated from the other vessels after they got chased down by kingsmoulds,they escaped to kingdom's edge,they havent found any other vessels on the way, some were killed, some escaped, but the kingsmoulds still hunt, they found a small tent with a blown out campfire, there also were the remains of the bug that hid in here, presumably from the savage bugs that roam around the whole area, mason lifted his hand from ghost's shoulder, then glanced at joni, whose shaking was much worse then ghost's was, mason and ghost sat around joni, and then hugged him, he was comforted by that and his shaking stiffened, joni was the shortest of the bunch, while ghost was a little taller than joni, mason towered over them, his cloak was taller than he was, and he was the only one who knew how to wield a nail, the vessels did not know what to do, they had no master, no one to obey, to.. to....  
Ghost paused,  
Enslave them...


	2. The hunter in red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The three vessels meet an unlikely foe.

Ghost got up, both mason and joni looked at him, confused, they went over to the dead body and looked, there was a nail, dusted and dirty, they picked it up, mason hurried over to them and held the hand that had the nail in it, ghost noded, mason was confused, but then, he realized what he meant, he wanted to teach him to wield a nail, an extension of a bug, for there is no one to protect the likes of them, ghost and mason turned around, as mason started teaching ghost to protect themselves.

A few days later...

Ghost had started getting the hang of nail, he was now able to defeat a few primal aspids, the three vessels had to get out of kingdom's edge someday, and now was the time to do it, with nails in hand, mason and ghost marched forward, with lil' joni in the back following along,  
They managed to get far, lost in the foggy-ish ash of kingdom's edge, then, a noise..  
"What may the king be hiding, if these creatures are a threat to hallownest, then why are they so weak?" Ghost peeked around the corner, a.. a vessels body, did.. did she kill it?!?  
Mason peeked out with ghost, his eyes widened, they stepped back, planing to sneak away, *crunch*, hornet looked they're way, ghost had stepped on a twig, "come out!" Hornet demanded, the three vessels froze in fear, mason slowly stepped out, ghost tried to stop him, but he couldn't, "a.. another comes? The king wasn't exaggerating.." she pointed her needle at mason, who in return drew his nail, ghost couldn't just stand there, he drew his nail and jumped next to mason, joni peeked out, hornet, overwhelmed by the abundance of vessels, had a surprised face, but she did not step back, and her face quickly went back to normal, "what are you?" She yelled, but they did not respond, "so you dont have voices" she lowered her gaze, looking at joni, mason stepped infront of joni, and aimed his nail at hornet, "so it challenges me, a weaklings demise it shall get" just as hornet got ready to dash to mason, a kingsmould appeared out of nowhere behind her, it tried to grab her, she flicked her head back, before rolling away, and then throwing her nail at it, piercing its shell, killing it, her needle came back to her with silk lines connecting it back to her hand, she aimed it back at the vessels, they were intimated, mason stepped back in fear, but before ghost can react, a needle came, partially piercing they're shell, they blacked out.  
they woke up, in a little house, they looked out the window, they were still in kingdom's edge, they tried moving, but they were tied to a chair, there was a notebook with an incomplete drawing of them in it "ghost?" scribbled all over it, hornet entered the house, closing the door behind her, she looked at them, "you have awoken" she said, with an intrigued voice, she grabbed a chair and sat infront of them, she grabbed the notebook and the pen, peeking from the book, to them, and back to the book, she completed the drawing and placed the notebook beside her, she then grabbed her nail, ghost tried to loosen themself, they started shaking, she put the needle to its chin, moving its head around, inspeacting it, she then spoke, "where did you come from? Intruders? Travelers? You look awfully child-like" ghost could not respond, "do you have a voice?" Ghost stayed silent, "why does the wyrm fear you? Why does he fear that you'll ruin this kingdom?"  
She paused,  
"My name is hornet"


	3. No will to break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hornet challenges the knight to a duel to the death.

Ghost tried to untie they're hands, but it wouldn't budge, "those restraints are made by the finest silk, don't swell your hand trying to loosen such fine craft, though im not as low as to kill you constrained" hornet got up, and went towards what seemes like a kitchen, she started cooking.  
I again tried to loosen, but i could not, i looked aroung, there was the notebook, a pen, a few kitchen knives, and hornet's needle, which she kept very close to her, i desperately jumped back and forth on the chair, but that only caused me to fall down with the chair, hornet turned around, i was flailing my legs aimlessly, unable to get up, she came over and pushed the chair up, "enough" she said, annoyed, she went out of view behind ghost, they looked back, she was tying a thread of silk to the chair, then onto her needle, she grabbed her needle, and dragged them out through a back door, into the backyard, the fences in the backyard were high, so no one can climb out, then she looked the door behind her, she untied me, but before i could get up she pushed me away, i rolled back untill i hit the fence, she then threw me my nail and pointed her nail at me, " you survived my killing blow back there with the other ones, yet they escaped in fear, fight me! Prove your worth! I got up, nail in hand, hornet got into a fighting stance, she threw her needle my way, but i jumped over it, the needle came back, ghost dashed towards her for a blow, but then she jumped in the air and landed her nail right at the tip of ghost's shell, she missed, but if she hadn't, ghost would be dead, ghost turned around and slashed,hornet was knocked back, "that would've been your death" hornet said, she dashed at ghost, they clashed nails, they were like that for a long time, and then, a silk thread tripped ghost they fell, and hornet went in for a killing blow, they rolled back, and got up as fast as they can, but hornet was already in front of them, ghost felt nimb, unable to move there arms as hornet stood there, glaring at them, they looked down, hornet had her nail right through they're stomach, ghost started fading out, but then, a single thought came through they're mind, "consume..." void tendrils came out of ghost's wound, right around hornet's needle,hornet startled, they then grabbed hornet's head and started sucking the soul out of her, ghost tried to stop it but they couldn't, they were hungry, really hungry, for soul, but ghost resisted, the void tendrils let go of hornet and went back into ghost,hornet got knocked out, they focused the soul they got from hornet and healed, sealing up the wound, they looked at hornet she was pale, in a bad way, like someone who lost a lot of blood.. was she... dead? Ghost grabbed the keys from her pocket and unlocked the door and then went for the front door, but then, the door started knocking, "princess?, its me, the teacher's assistant, quirrel, i have something to say...to you" ghost froze, she's the king's daughter? If the king finds out.....  
Ghost hear a light tap on the door, "hello? Princess? Are you in there?" Ghost had an idea, if he hid the body, then the king would not suspect the vessels, but that she had ran away from the kingdom, ghost ran to the backyard, and dragged hornet towards the closet, the front door opened, "p-princess?" Quirrel was holding a pale flower, but dropped it at the sight of hornet's body, "PRINCESS!" quirrel grabbed for his nail, so did ghost "WHAT DID YOU DO!" he slashed at ghost, going right through him, ghost didnt feel anything for a second, but then they fell, a strong sting going through they're body, they looked at quirell who was checking hornet's pulse, "oh thank the heavens, princess, wake up!" She was alive, ghost tried to get up, but they're legs were busted, quirel let go of hornet and went over to the knight, as he looked at him, his expression changed, "a... vessel?" Ghost crawled back, "monomon never let me see one, yet, you match the description in her tablets, hornet slowly sat up, she looked sick, with barely any power.  
"Wha- i-, how-" she said, with barely any power, quirrel sat kneeled next to her, "what happened to you?" Quirrel exclaimed, Hornet started passing out again, "wait.. NO NO HOLD ON" she passed out, quirrel looked at ghost, "HOW- WHA-" quirrel kicked ghost in the head, knocking them out.


	4. The aftermath

Ghost woke up, they're head spinning, they were tied to a lamppost, it was nailed to the ground, ghost looked around, hornet was laying in the couch, awake, she still looked pale.  
The door slowly opened, it was quirrel,"hey" hornet turned her head to quirrel "do you feel any better?" Hornet didn't not reply, "I didn't find anything but savage bugs out there, please, if there is anything I can d-" "l- life- blood" "huh? "Bring- me lifeblood" "but, the king-" "doesn't- matter" quirrel paused, " just- stay here, Ill go find you lifeblood!" Quirrel ran out and shut the door, hornet tried to get up, but couldn't, she grabbed for her needle, and used it as a crutch, she sat up, but couldn't go any further, "you.. got me good, not many can.. challenge me like that" ghost tilted theyre head sideways in confusion, "w-what.. are you?" She demanded, but ghost had no reply, for they had no voice, hornet shifted her gaze from ghost, and to the ground, deep in her thoughts, and she stayed that way for a while, ghost seemed to do the same, nothing happened for a while, hornet dozed off, her eyes closed shut, she was sleeping, ghost toke the opportunity to attempt to escape, they tried to untie themselves, to mo avail, they looked around, nothing, ghost looked behind him at the lamppost, it wasnt screwed, but it was heavy, which is why ghost assumed it was screwed, ghost had no plans in mind other then to shake it, they started jumping around, each jump stronger then the last, until, *screech*, the lamp post fell down to the floor, the jar of lumaflys illuminating the place shattering, and the rope seemed to loosen, hornet woke up in shock, "Y-YOU-" ghost managed to cut the rope with a glass shard, hornet jumped from the couch, which only lead to her falling back onto the couch, ghost went for the door, it was unlocked, ghost flung the door open, finding quirrel on the other side, quirrel jumped, giving ghost enough time to run past him, knocking quirrel onto the ash, ghost ran and ran and ran, but quirrel didn't seem to pursue, probably healing hornet with the lifeblood, ghost was now lost in the ashy mist of kingdom's edge, they marched forward, the wind slightly slowing them down.  
Ghost started recognizing the place, the campfire they hid in was close to hornet's house, a straight line forward, but the vessels didnt go far enough from the campfire to find her house, thankfully, ghost ran to the entrance of the campsite, and climbed to the top, they looked around, joni was there, not seeming to notice him, looking at the ground in a disturbed manner, but without an expresion, ghost stepped on a twig, joni turned around, even without an expression joni seemed glad to see them, joni jumped to ghost, they hugged for a while, ghost seemed confused about Mason's whereabouts, but before he could communicate that with his sibling, another vessel climbed up the campsite, it was mason, with a rope and a nail, they probably wanted to break ghost out, mason noticed ghost, there head leaning back in suprise, mason jumped at ghost, and the vessels shared a group hug, then, a noise startled them, footsteps from below, ghost peeked down, it was quirrel, holding a letter, "i don't think it's the right time, she just met me, she didn't know about me, i-i should give it time" the vessels froze, not wanting to make a noise, as quirrel passed them, the vessels then sealed the entrance and sat around the campfire, and started the fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating this story! I was just lazy lol


End file.
